Stories for August 2010

Venezuela's economy shrank 3.5% during the first half of 2010 compared to the same period a year earlier, the Central Bank said in a report that revealed a deep recession in the oil rich country ahead of September legislative elections.

While the Brazilian ruling coalition presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff consolidates her lead in opinion polls and is almost certain to win in the first round October 3, her main rival Jose Serra’s campaign seems to have fallen in disarray.

British scientists have released draft sequences of the wheat genome, which they think could make a vital contribution to securing global food supplies. The researchers say their efforts could help British farmers to develop new strains with greater yields.

Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Héctor Timerman will meet Monday in Montevideo with his Uruguayan counterpart, Luis Almagro, to advance with the implementation of the scientific committee that will monitor the UPM (ex Botnia) pulp mill and the River Uruguay.

A total of 19 pink freshwater dolphins belonging to an extremely rare species living in the east of landlocked Bolivia have been rescued from a river covered in mud and deforestation residue, reported the Santa Cruz province governors’ office.

Brazil's Supreme Court suspended starting Friday the rule banning radio and television comedians and programs from producing political satire about parties and their candidates in the October election.

The Chilean mining industry has ridden the wave of rising copper prices to record major profit increases in the first half of 2010, with three important mining conglomerates showing profits of US$4 billion in that time period.

The United States Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies (CHDS) has selected U.S. Army Gen. John Galvin and former Uruguayan Defence Minister Dr. José Bayardi in the individual category and the Mexican Centre for Superior Naval Studies (CESNAV) in the institutional category for the 2010 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defence Education.

The UK’s most powerful attack submarine, HMS Astute, was welcomed into the Royal Navy on Friday. In a Commissioning ceremony overseen by the boat's patron the Duchess of Cornwall, Astute officially became 'Her Majesty's Ship'.